Nurse aide (CNA)
Pearson VUE CNA practice test: what changed, what did not
Ten questions on self-care and independence to start. Below: the short history of the NNAAP, and how to avoid studying from outdated material.
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| Study target: 7 of 8 (80%), not the official passing score |
Practice questions written by Radif Partners from the public outline; not questions from the real exam. Progress stays in this browser.
Many candidates still look for a Pearson VUE CNA test because, for years, the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) was delivered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which developed it. That arrangement has ended. The NCSBN now states that it no longer develops or owns the content of the NNAAP and of the medication aide exam (MACE), and it directs candidates to Credentia, which owns and delivers the NNAAP in the states that use it. For candidates, the exam itself is the same kind of test: a written part of 70 questions in 2 hours, 10 of them pretest items, or an oral version, and a skills part of 5 skills in 30 minutes. What changed is where you register, which handbook applies and, separately, the content outline, revised in October 1, 2024. Practice material labeled Pearson VUE may predate that outline. The questions here follow the 2024 outline and are written by us, not taken from any vendor.
Time per question on the real exam
Seconds per question
94
- Questions
- 70
- Time allowed
- 2 h
- Average with no review
- 103 s
CNA: 70 questions, of which 60 count toward the score.
Questions, formats and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Three names, one exam
The confusion comes from three organizations being attached to the same test over time:
| Organization | Role in the NNAAP |
|---|---|
| NCSBN | Developed the NNAAP; no longer owns or develops its content |
| Pearson VUE | Long delivered the NNAAP in many states for the NCSBN |
| Credentia | Now owns the NNAAP and delivers it in the states that use it |
The test candidates sit has kept its structure through these changes. A written test, with an oral alternative, and a skills demonstration, both required by federal rules for every state. So if a friend who tested years ago calls it the Pearson VUE exam and you are told it is the Credentia exam, you are talking about the same program.
What changed for candidates
Three things are different from the Pearson VUE years, and each matters on a practical level.
Where you register. Applications, scheduling and fees now go through Credentia's state pages (Credentia test takers). Each NNAAP state has its own page with its own handbook. Bookmarks, emails and printed instructions from the old system can point to pages that no longer apply.
The outline and skills listing. The 2024 NNAAP content outline took effect in October 1, 2024. It organizes the written test into nine areas under three roles and goes with the current skills listing. Material written before that date is not wrong about nurse aide work, but its area names, skill titles or step sequences may not match the current handbook.
Fees. Old fee tables are unreliable. Pennsylvania, for example, now sells both parts as a bundle of $135 on its Credentia quick reference. Always pay the amount shown on your state's current page.
What did not change
The written form still has 70 questions in 2 hours, with 10 pretest items that do not count (Credentia written exam page). The oral version still has 60 questions and 10 word recognition items. The skills test still asks for 5 skills in 30 minutes, with hand hygiene always included. And the kind of question is the same: a resident, a situation, and the best thing the aide should do.
Checking your study material
Before you rely on a book, an app or a printed handout, run four quick checks:
- Does it mention the 2024 outline, or is it dated after October 1, 2024?
- Do its area names match the nine areas of the current outline, such as self-care and independence or member of the health care team?
- Do its skill titles match the current listing? Compare them with our skills list, taken from the 2024 listing.
- Does it give fees or a registration address? If so, ignore them and use your state's current Credentia page.
A source that fails the first three can still be useful for practice questions on daily care, but it should not be your guide to skill steps.
Three questions for your training program
Your program knows the current arrangements better than any old document. Ask which vendor and which handbook edition it prepares you for, whether it registers you or you register yourself, and which version of the skills checklist its instructors use in the lab. If the answers point to the current Credentia handbook and the 2024 listing, you can trust the program's practice sessions as a guide to test day.
Not an NNAAP state?
If you train in Texas, Florida or New York, you test with Prometric; in Ohio or Michigan, with Headmaster; in Illinois, through Southern Illinois University. None of these exams was ever the NNAAP, so neither Pearson VUE nor Credentia material describes their format exactly. The state guide tells you which one applies.
About the questions above
The ten questions loaded at the top come from self-care and independence, an area that tests whether you let residents do what they can for themselves: encouraging them to feed or dress themselves, offering choices, and giving time rather than taking over. It carries about 5 questions on a full form. After it, move to the larger areas with the practice test by area. This site is not affiliated with Pearson VUE, Credentia or the NCSBN.